MPs make it official: two extra days holiday this year

Luxembourg's workers will get two additional days of holiday beginning this year, after parliament made the move official on Wednesday.

MPs voted unanimously to pass a bill of law bringing in a new public holiday on 9 May to celebrate Europe Day.

The day marks Robert Schuman's declaration in 1950, which proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community, the first precursor to the European Union.

Every employee in the country will also benefit from 26 days of paid annual leave a year as a minimum, up from 25 days previously.

Those with more generous provisions already will not automatically benefit, but could renegotiate with their employers.

The new holidays are a feature of the coalition agreement struck in December between the liberal Democratic Party, centre-left Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) and Greens (Déi Gréng) parties.